


This Is Gonna Take Me Down

by feveredpitch



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-05-21
Packaged: 2018-03-31 15:22:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3983059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feveredpitch/pseuds/feveredpitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ian works at the campus coffee shop and admires the hot guy that comes in during his shift every night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Is Gonna Take Me Down

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from 'Wildest Dreams' by Taylor Swift

The end of Ian’s first year of college was closing in on him and frankly, it was all a blur. He was in a constant cycle of class, sleep, eat, work. Rinse and repeat. It was exhausting but he was thankful for the daily routine that helped keep himself focused.

He was lucky that unlike a good portion of the college campus, he was able to find an on-campus job so he didn’t have to spent time he didn’t have to spare commuting back and forth. The third shift barista job at the Starbucks located in the campus library was a perfect fit for Ian. His body was used to staying up all through the night so he was able to work, get back to his dorm for a shower and a quick breakfast, then head straight to his 8am class. And after a couple of weeks, he actually felt himself enjoying going to work. There was a sense of peace that surrounded the campus in the hazy late night and early morning hours. It was the moments during the day where Ian felt the most clear headed and focused. Plus, it never got that busy so he was able to get a good majority of his homework done during his shift.

The pace always picked up during midterms and finals, but even then, Ian only got a handful of zombified stragglers that shuffled in at odd times, clutching their Red Bull and bursting into tears when Ian asks them the simplest question like “what size did you want?” and “what is your name?” It’s funny but also kind of heartbreaking. College life is tough.

Ian’s favorite reason to come to work isn’t for the quiet time or because it’s pretty much a paid eight hour study hall. No, Ian’s favorite reason to come to work waltzes in every single day at approximately 1:15am and was given the nickname (only in Ian’s head) “My Future Husband”. Every time the clock hits 1:10, Ian’s stomach gets butterflies and clenches sickeningly and he pretends like he isn't glancing at the door every 15 seconds waiting for the brunet with the bluest eyes he’s ever seen and what seemed like a permanent scowl on his face, which only deepened every time Ian tried (and failed) to start a conversation with him.

He had started coming in about two weeks into the beginning of the year and sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, Ian had made it his semester’s mission to have a three sentence conversation with His Future Husband (who he quickly discovered was named Mickey) that didn’t involve Mickey looking like he wanted to transfer his ‘FUCK U-UP’ tattoos on his knuckles directly to Ian’s forehead. Since normal conversation starters such as “Hi!” and “How are you?” were never met with more than a grunt, Ian realized he was going to have to get creative.

Ian decided subtle was the way to go. Usually between that time, Mickey was either the only or one of the few customers around, so Ian never needed to call his name out. He didn’t know if Mickey had ever glanced at the side of the cup where Ian’s chicken scratch handwriting sloppily spelled out his name, so Ian decided to take a chance and have some fun with it.

It started out small. 'Mickey’ turned into 'Mick’. After that was the week Ian decided to write a name of each of the seven dwarfs on his cups. Every time Ian handed Mickey his cup, he bit his lip in anticipation, willing him to finally look at the side it seemed his hand was always covering. (And, y'know, maybe he would see it and have the epiphany that he was madly in love with the tall, ginger barista who although he didn’t even know his name, just knew they were soul mates).

It was five long, agonizing, torturous weeks of this charade before Ian finally gave up. He didn’t even try to strike up a conversation as Mickey walked up to the counter. He just silently rang up Mickey’s usual and went about making it, making a mental list of everything he needed to do before he went back home.

Even though Mickey was the only customer in their, Ian still grabbed the closest black Sharpie, sheerly out of habit, and scribbled Mickey’s name on the cup. He slid the cup across the bar to Mickey, giving him a tight, forced smile before grabbing a towel and heading out to the dining room to wipe tables down. He was so lost in his own head he almost missed the words that were being directed at him.

“You know, I’m kind of disappointed in you.”

Ian took a quick look around to make sure no one else had entered the coffee shop while Ian had his back turned, before slowly turning towards Mickey, who was leaning up against the counter, starting at Ian with a single raised eyebrow and his lips curled in a smirk.

“You talking to me?” Ian immediately shut his eyes in embarrassment at his stupid words. Of fucking course he was talking to him. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes , which turned out to be a BIG mistake. Mickey’s obvious amusement was covering his whole face, his blue eyes were shining bright with laughter and the smirk turned into a full blown smile. Ian didn’t even care that it was at his expense. He would gladly make a fool out of himself everyday if it meant getting to see Mickey smile like that.

“Sorry, obviously you were talking to me. But, uh. What? I mean… disappointed in what?” Ian was mentally kicking himself. You would think that a linguistics major would be able to string together a coherent sentence in his native language, but apparently that wasn’t a possibility.

Mickey’s reply was silent. He simply turned his cup so his name was facing Ian and tapped at the scribbled writing with this pointer finger.

“So I’m back to Mickey now? I mean, I knew you were running out of ideas. Precious cinnamon roll, too good for this world? Little bit faggy, Gallagher.”

“Oh my god, I had no idea you actually noti–wait a second. You know who I am?”

Mickey rubbed his bottom lip with his fingers, obviously enjoying Ian’s discomfort and embarrassment.

“Yeah, you’re friends with my sister Mandy. She kept telling me I needed to get laid and constantly mentioning her hot ginger friend that 'I should go find and climb like a tree’ - her words, not mine.”

“Wait…” Ian started, still confused by this whole turn of events. “You’re Mandy’s brother?”

Mickey rolled his eyes, “Jesus Christ, Gallagher you always this slow?”

Ian didn’t reply, just kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish on dry land. Mickey figured he had enough fun for the evening and decided to put the younger guy out of his misery.

“So what time does your shift end?”

Ian swallowed hard, trying to remember his schedule. “Um, 5.”

“So you wanna meet up after, get breakfast or something?”

“Breakfast?”

“Christ, Ian! Yes, breakfast. You know, sit down and have a meal. Talk and shove our faces with pancakes and enough coffee to give even the most hardened meth head the shakes.”

Ian thought about Mickey’s words for a beat before a smile finally reached his lips and he couldn’t stop it til he was grinning from ear to ear.

“Wait, so you mean like a date?”

Mickey closed his eyes and took a deep breath, muttering under his breath ’fuck he’s lucky he’s hot’ before meeting Ian’s eyes again. He was going to reply with whatever the first sarcastic comment that came off of his tongue, but when he saw Ian’s eager grin, it made Mickey melt a little bit.

“Yeah, Firecrotch, like a date.”

He didn't say another word, just headed towards the door. He didn't turn around to look at Ian’s face again, but he had an idea that the grin on the redhead’s face was pretty close to his own.


End file.
